Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

CINEMA REVIEWS

The latest cinema reviews from BGPS

Dunkirk (Cinema Review) – One of the best war movies ever made?

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Christopher Nolan is a franchise. Much like the Spielberg summer releases of yesteryear or any film by Stanley Kubrick, there is a devoted audience who can’t wait to see the director’s next film. More often than not, Nolan’s movies are original (to a degree), stand alone and the studio has faith in the director’s abilities.

Nolan’s relationship with Warner Brothers seems to be going from strength to strength and I’ve read that he has a tendency to deliver his movies under budget and before the scheduled deadline.

I also like to believe that the pitch meetings go something like:
Nolan: “I have this idea for my next film.”
Warner’s: “Great, sounds excellent! Here, have some money and let us know once it’s done!” [Read more…]

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge (Cinema Review) – Jack Sparrow is back!

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To be honest I enjoy sequels and franchises as long as they keep up the standard and improve upon previous entries, which sadly often isn’t the case. I have reviewed countless sequels over the years and with this review I don’t want to regurgitate what I have previously written about franchises, and I will try to keep this to a minimum with this review as I don’t want to go over old ground; but rather tread new waters (pun fully intended).

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was a pleasant surprise to a lot of people when it came out in 2003. Many asked how could a film based on an old amusement park ride have such an effect on audiences around the world, and the answer is because it was fun. Cutthroat Island (1995) was a well-documented bomb at the box office and it was a risky move for Disney to release the first Pirates film, but it paid off both financially and critically. [Read more…]

Fast and Furious 8 (Cinema Review) – Vin Diesel & crew are back in action

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Franchises are funny things. The popular opinion is that the majority of films on at your local multiplexes are part of franchises, cinematic universes, sequels or reboots. Whereas the Bond series has evolved by having multiple actors playing the titular spy and a soft reboot, Fast & Fuiours franchise has evolved from its ‘cop on the street action/thriller’ origins, to being stupidly fun and very over the top entries which channel heist and spy capers. It’s safe to say this particular franchise has evolved while maintaining its aesthetics, and doesn’t look like it will run out of gas any time soon.

As such we have another entry titled Fast and Furious 8 / The Fate of the Furious / The Fateful 8 / Vin Diesel’s Driving Dchool Vol. 8. As you can tell I can’t take this review too seriously, and you shouldn’t take this film seriously either. I cannot stress how silly, cheesy and, as such, enjoyable this film is. [Read more…]

Smurfs: The Lost Village (Cinema Review) – The little blue creatures are back and totally animated

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After a couple of part live-action outings, Sony has decided that a bit of a reboot and a fully animated adventure is the direction they want to take The Smurfs. They’d have probably done better to have gone this root from the beginning, as the little blue creatures never seemed like they fit in the real world, and this fully animated adventure allows it to be closer to the tales of Peyo and the early 80s Hannah-Barbera cartoon.

As well as the fact there’s no Neil Patrick Harris or Hank Azaria, the voices of most of the Smurfs have changed too. Not that kids will care though, and quite frankly why they decided they needed names like Demi Lovato, Joe Manganiello and Julia Roberts involved is a mystery, as it’s not like anyone is going to buy a ticket because of it. [Read more…]

Beauty & The Beast (IMAX Review) – Is there something gay there that wasn’t there before?

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If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. That seems to have been the watchword with Beauty & The Beast. While there has been some tinkering around the edges of the 1991 animated classic to give everyone a bit more of a backstory, and to slightly soften some of the creepier Stockholm Syndrome elements, largely this live-action version is incredibly faithful. That goes as far as parts of the film being pretty much a shot-for-shot remake.

Inevitably, this will have some crying foul, seeing this as a cynical attempt by Disney to churn out another money-grabbing live-action take on one of their best films. Well, the fact is – yes, it is. But do you know what? I don’t care. [Read more…]

Moonlight (Cinema Review) – The gay-themed multi-Oscar nominee finally reaches the UK

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Oftentimes it’s not too far into the year when you can see which movies are likely to be lining up for the Oscar race. However, Moonlight seemingly came out of nowhere, became far more successful at the US box office than most expected (setting records along the way) and immediately had people suggesting it ought to be up for loads of awards. Even so, many wondered whether it would miss out, simply because it was a small film released by a US distributor that doesn’t have the money for the sort of massive Oscar campaign a studio can mount.

Thankfully it defied the odds, scoring eight Oscar nominations. It’s taken a while, but now the movie is arriving in the UK, and it’s been worth the wait. [Read more…]

La La Land (Cinema Review) – Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone star in a Hollywood love letter

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If you’re going to be brave enough to make a two-hour homage to the golden days of the Hollywood musical you’d better make sure you get it right. So many films have fallen into the trap – Frankenweenie, The Man Who Wasn’t There and The Good German are just a few examples of films that have tried so hard so pay tribute to great movies, that they forgot to be a film in their own right. What Damien Chazelle (whiplash) has done here is produce a beautiful, witty, warm homage, but manage to take it in a completely unexpected direction without spoiling the film’s internal logic. It’s fun, yes, but there is a sting in the tail – a nasty sting.

From the opening sequence we know we’re in safe hands. Hundreds of cars are stuck on the freeway, so what else to do for the drivers but to burst into song and dance. It’s brilliantly choreographed and filmed, in what appears to be a single shot. It’s full of joy and sets the scene for the story to come. Somewhere in the traffic jam is Ryan Gosling’s Seb, and Emma Stone’s Mia, and their first meeting is not a romantic one. [Read more…]

The Pass (Cinema Review)

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The Pass is one of those movies that really shouldn’t work. While it was acclaimed on stage, you would initially think that would be the only place it would succeed. It’s setup doesn’t immediately seem to lend itself to being opened up for cinema, as it by necessity it retains a very stark three-act structure, only has four speaking roles, and just three locations. However, despite that, it’s a really good film.

The movie opens in a Romanian hotel room, where two young footballers, Jason (Russell Tovey – who also originated the role on stage) and Ade (Arinzé Kene) are preparing for what could be a career-making game the next day. While they chat, bond, and perhaps subconsciously compete for status – both just in their underwear – they also slowly flirt towards something more intimate. There may be a lot of ‘lad’s talk’ about banging chicks and hot women, but that increasingly covers their true feelings. [Read more…]

Doctor Strange (Cinema Review)

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Here we are with the 14th film in the ever expanding and ultra-successful MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). This entry has been touted to be a turning point in the series, just as Thor (2011) introduced aliens and the nine realms; Doctor Strange introduces the Marvel multiverse – a key narrative trope of the comics which essentially means there are infinite versions of worlds and characters just ripe for the picking.

This long awaited entry tells the story of the brilliant but arrogant Doctor Stephen Strange (a well-cast Benedict Cumberbatch), who after a car accident suffers severe nerve damage in his hands. He goes on a journey to heal himself which leads to a temple in Nepal, where he meets The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), learns of the mystic arts and sorcery, and is put on a path to save the day from a being that threatens the entire planet. [Read more…]

Theo and Hugo (Cinema Review)

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Like all classic romances, this one starts in a sex club. Okay, Romeo & Juliet didn’t start in a sex club, but that’s where Theo & Hugo opens. The titular characters are there to get down and dirty with other guys. Theo (Geoffrey Couët) sees Hugo (François Nambot) across the neon-lit room, and is immediately drawn to him. Eventually the duo end up getting down and dirty, having rip-roaring, earth-shaking sex, while surrounded by other guys.

While that’s usually the end for two people following a sex club encounter, both Theo and Hugo feel a connection and decide to leave together. However, their flirtation seems to come to a swift end when Theo admits he didn’t use a condom. Unsurprisingly, the HIV+ Hugo is far from impressed. After Hugo arranges for Theo to go to the hospital to arrange tests and post-exposure prophylaxis, it seems like that will be it for them, but over the course of 12 hours they find themselves increasingly drawn to one another. [Read more…]